QUESTIONS ABOUT VICODIN WITHDRAWL ECT.?

Question

hi i have been addicted to prescription pain medicine for about a year now, and enough is enough. i started out doing cocaine and then i had a seizure and was smart enough to quit. but only to go to a different drug. i dont want to do this anymore.i dont want this time to get that serious. im wasting money and ruining my life. but im afraid of the withdrawls. i have been reading up on suboxen and methadone but doesnt that just give me another dependency? and advice or success stories would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Answer 1

Sometimes the best way to approach withdrawing from a substance is do to it with medical help at a facility specializing in detox or at a mental health facility. Opiates do have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and in a medical setting they will give medications to help control symptoms and wean you off until you are completely free and clear of them. Then, they usually have some sort of outpatient services to have you be seen probably on a weekly basis for awhile to help ensure you stay off the meds. (Best to have insurance to use this- so if you don't, you might have to call around).



Support groups, like Narcotics Anonymous, might also be helpful for you. Perhaps look up some local meetings, go to one and see if they can offer some words of advice and support to help point you in the right direction for a detox facility or something else to help you go through the withdrawal.



http://www.na.org/ Narcotics Anonymous



If your husband has a similar addiction this will make it very difficult for you to stay clean. In this case, it would be best if you could convince him to do this with you. Obviously there are huge implications if this were ever discovered at work or elsewhere since you could face legal trouble. So perhaps try to find what part of his life it will speak to him the most and approach from that angle.



Sometimes it takes walking away before the person realizes they have a problem. Are you ready to do that? It's most important to take care of yourself first, and him a close second (assuming no kids are in the house...). So if he refuses to do anything, that's a detriment to you and I would suggest acting accordingly. Maybe then he'll get the picture.



Quitting takes a degree of committment and the ability to persevere even when you're miserable- so I commend you for wanting to take that step. You've taken the biggest one so far- realizing there's a problem and deciding it needs to stop. The rest will hopefully follow close behind- though it won't be easy it will be worth it.



Best wishes to you and your husband. I hope you will both overcome soon!

Answer 2

First of all, you need to talk to your doc and get a referral to an addiction specialist, who can give you all that information as well as help you to wean off the drug. The problem with cold turkey is that it over stresses your body which can lead to seizures, among other things. Once the physical withdrawal is done, then you really need to attend NA meetings, 90 meetings in 90 days, work the program and find a sponsor. If you get clean and sober and your husband doesn't, you may be faced with a tough choice; leaving him to keep your sobriety or getting him to join you at the meetings. YOU can't make him get sober. It's choice that he has to make, just like the choice you are making now. If he sees that you have to leave unless he changes, then he might follow you.

Best thing to do is to sit down with him, tell him that you want to get clean and sober and ask him to do it with you. If he says yes, and means it, then you have a built in support system as you both go through detox and the meetings. If he says a grudging yes, then he's trying to make you get off his back and likely he won't make it.



I have a friend who has almost 29 years under his belt as clean and sober, who works his program every day of his life. I hope that you and your husband have success.



If you stay with your husband and he doesn't get clean, it's going to be extremely hard for you to stay clean and sober without a lot of help. Good luck.

Answer 3

Normally withdrawing from these drugs on your own should be gradual. Cut your intake in thirds or halves . If you're taking a lot go see a doctor, this stuff affects your heart, blood pressure and other things. There are clinics too. Any addiction takes a lot of commitment to overcome. Good luck